Tire cover



, E. E. FREY ATIRE COVER FebQ s, 193s.

Filed Jan. 27, 193] 7m/@f5 my? ,Patented Feb. V8, 1938 s" 'VIhis-'invention relates to a tire' cover, such as applied LonA automobiles forcovering a spare tire. Y Such covers have been'heret'ofore constructed generally of -light rubberized fabric', which be- 55 fcom'es worrrirom use and maybe torn in removingithesamefor applyingit to the `spare tire. It

Y .-hasrbeen" attempted to'form such' covers 'ci metal, but@usually such metal covers cannot bev very Y readily appliediand removed Afrom theV tire.

Y `-4Thegeneralfobjectoi this inventionistopro vducelaztirexcover.ot-simple construction. `which can .bereadilyapplied andremoved from the tire qandgfwhichwill,beef amoredurable character :than the non-metaltire covers heretofore/emfurther :obj ectV of. vthe;invention kis Lto provide tireA cover composedvr of ,a pluralityxofconnected segmentswhich are attached in suchaxwaythat o ','tliey have. al limited amount. of movement enf ahlinggthe covery to assume la suilciently;V large .zdiametentoenable'the same to be readily applied I ,urther objects of gthe Willruappear -he inafter.

3() inventionconsists inthe novell-partsand'k combinations of parts tobe kdescribed hereinafter,

, al Y ',vvhich.. contributefto'producean efficient .-tfcover." o f .w

A] preferred embodiment of4 the invention is I 5. described in the following, specification, while the broadfscope yofV the invention is pointedvout in the appended claims.

Figure Il is va side elevation of a tire cover eming my invention and representing the same in i s A.closedposition,Y that is to say, withftheparts in the relation which they have when the cover hasfbeen applied toklatire. l

,.Fig; 2'is aview similar 'to Fig, l, but repre- 5' sentin'g'the ftire'cover in itsopen position ready g Fig.' 3 is a section uponan enlarged scale, taken sib'stantiallyonthe. linerv33 of Fig. Zand inding thetir'e indotted outlines. f

' i, V".glifs a section taken about on the lined-II oyfgFig.,3 and further 'illustrating an embodiment oiflthefinvention in which the segments ofv the fcoverare' interlocked ywith each otherv through theme'dium of integral hooked flanges.

55 Fig. 5 isfa section taken at about the location Y of thelineE-Lof Fig'. 4, but passingin a cir` I cumferential direction and illustrating one of the segments, and also illustrating how itinterlocks at its edges with theadjacent segments.

` f y30 y Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing I -TIRE COVER Elmer E. Frey, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to g Kittie Manufacturing Co., Los Angeles,V Calif., Y y ,fa corporation of California Application January 27, 1931, Serial No. 511,531

7 Claims, (ci. 15o- 54) PATENT CFFICE a construction embodying a, regular hinged connection between the adjacent segments.

Fig; '7 is a section taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 6 and further illustrating` details of this embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 87, is a section taken at about the point 8-8 of Fig. 6 and illustrating a construction which may b'e employed, if desired, to limit the opening movement of the segments.

l,Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially tofFlgS. 1 and 2, the tire cover is preferably of annular form, as illustrated, being composed of a plurality of segments, indicated generally by the numeral I. These segments are of tapered form, .as shown, so that their adjacent edges lie rsubstantiallyinradial planes from a central pointZLwhich-corresponds to the rcenter pointofthe tire'fto'whichthe cover is applied; rAs indicated in Fig. 3, each segment is of substantially angular form, that is to say, it presents lan outer plate 4 which is adapted to lie against the thread of the tire, and an inner plate orsideplateilies against the side face of the tire. These plates 4 and 5 are united at an angle 6, at which point the metal forming the segment is bent to a slight curve or radius.

According to my invention, I unite the segments together by means of joints located at the points 1 all around the cover (see Fig. 2), and the connection between the segments is such as to permit a slight relative circumferential move'- `vment at the points 8 at the inner edges of the segments. This may be accomplished in different ways, as will now be described.

- In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in-Figs; 4 and 5 the joint 'I is formed by means of anges on the segments which are constructed as at I5, are constructed like the flanges II and I2, but towardthe point 8 the hooks of these anges are of reduced width thereby forming a clearance in the hooked joint which permits a relative circumferential movement of the segments at the points 8. This enables the tire cover to be opened up, as indicated in Fig. 2, to enlarge the diameterand enable it to pass readily over the spare tire The two end segments Ic and Id are provided with any suitable means for drawing the ends 'of the cover together after it has been applied.

For this purpose, I may provide these two segments with eyes It to carry a strap l1 having the buckle i8 (see Fig. l) to enable it to be pulled up tight.

One of the segments, for example the segment lc, may be provi-ded with a plain offset nange vI9 to telescope inside of the adjacent edge of the segment ld. tially the same as that .indicated in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 6 I illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the joint at the point 1 is formed as a regular hinge involving the use of a short hinge pin I9a that unites the adjacent segments of the cover through the agency of integral sleeves 2t formed on the plates in the usual manner of forming a hinged connection.

If desired, means may be provided for limiting the relative circumferential movement of the segments, and suitable means for this purpose is illustrated in Fig. 8. This means consists in providing an inner offset flange 2l on one of the segments and providing the opposite segment with a pin 22 that runs in a short slot 23 formed in the ange 2! lin a general circumferential direction with respect to the central point 2 of the cover.

It is understood that thev embodiment of the `invention described hereinv is only one of the c many embodiments this invention may take, and

Ido not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particular embodiment set forth. f

What I claim is: l i v1. A tire cover having a plurality of relatively short segments disposedsubstantially throughout the entire circumferential length of the cover with their adjacentedgesflocatedin planes radiating from an interior point, said segments having means for connecting the same at their adjacent edges operating topermit relative circumferential movement of the segments at -their inner edges, said means having a pivotal action adjacent the exterior circumference of the cover whereby said cover may assume an enlarged diameter when opened and removed from the tire. 2. A tire cover having a plurality'of relatively short segments disposed substantially throughout the entire circumferential length of the cover with their adjacent edgeslocated in planes radiating from an interior point, said segments having interlocking flanges for connecting the same at their adjacent edges operating to permit relative circumferential movement of the segments at their inner edges about a point or points adjacent the exterior circumference ofthe cover, whereby said cover may assume an enlarged diameter when opened and removed from the tire, said flanges adjacent the radially inner edge of the cover Yhaving means for limiting the circumferential movements of the segments. I

3. A tire cover having a plurality of relatively short segments disposed substantially throughout the entire circumferential length of the cover with their adjacent edges located in planes radiating from a substantially interior point, said segments being so connected at their adjacent edges as to permit relative circumferential movement of the segments at their inner edges about a point or points adjacent the exterior circumference' of the cover whereby said cover may assume an enlarged diameter when opened and subsequently removed from the tire.

ll. A tire cover having a plurality of rrelatively short segments disposed substantially throughout This construction would be substaneter when opened and removed from the tire.

5. A tire cover having a plurality of relatively short segments disposed substantially throughout the entire circumferential length of the cover, each segment including a part to extend across the tread of a tire and a part to extend along the side Wall of the tire, said segments being assembled with their adjacent edges located in planes radiating .from an interior point, interlocking flanges formed on the meeting edges of said segments, said flanges pivotally interconnecting the tread covering portions of said segments for` movement relative to4 each other to thereby permit relative circumferential movement of the side Wall covering portions of the segments whereby said cover may assume an enlarged diameter whenv opened and remove from the tire. f

6. A tire cover having a plurality of relatively short segments disposed substantially throughout the entire circumferential length of the cover, each segment including a part to extend across the tread l-of a tire and a part to extend alongk the side wall of the tire, said segments being assembled with their adjacent edges located in planes radiating from an interior point, interlocking flanges formed on the meeting edges of said segments, said flangesv pivotally interconnecting the tread covering portions of said segments for movement relative to each other to thereby permit relative circumferential movement of the said wall covering portions of the segments whereby said cover may assume an enlarged diameter when opened and removed from the tire, said vinterlocking flanges extending along the side wall covering the portions of said segments and having means for limiting the pivotal movement of said segments'relative to each other.

7. A tire cover having a plurality of relatively short segments disposed' substantially throughou the entire circumferential length of the cover, ea segment including a part to extend across the tread of a tire and a part to extend along the side wall of the tire, said segments being assembled with their adjacent edges located in planes radiating from an interior point, interlocking iianges formed upon each of the segments and extending along both the tread covering portions and the side wall portions of said segments, said iianges constituting hinge means pivotally interconnecting adjacent segments for movement relative to each other about points disposed adjacent the exterior circumference of the cover and the flanges on the side Wall portions of said segments loosely interlocking the adjacent edges of the segments to limit the pivotal movement of said segments relative to each other.

ELMER E. FREY. 

